Even in the Age of Amazement, sometimes you need a break between talks packed with fascinating science, tech, art and so much more. That’s where interstitials come in: short videos that entertain and intrigue, while allowing the brain a moment to reset and ready itself to absorb more information.

Mixed in with our originals, curators Anyssa Samari and Jonathan Wells hand-picked even more videos — animations, music, even cool ads — to play throughout the week. Here’s the program of shorts they found, from creative people all around the world:

The short: Jane Zhang: “Dust My Shoulders Off.” A woman having a bad day is transported to a world of famous paintings where she has a fantastic adventure.

TED is about speakers stepping on a stage and sharing an idea in 18 minutes or less. But throughout our annual conference, short films play a vital part in the program too — opening sessions and providing moments of pause, reflection and laughter between talks. The short films shown during the conference are selected by Anyssa […]

Thought-provoking, silly and sometimes somber, the interstitials shown at TED2016 provide a needed moment for a breath between talks. The videos are meant to “light up different parts of the brain,” says Anyssa Samari, who scours the internet year-round alongside Jonathan Wells to curate this kindling that keeps the intellectual fires burning. “They create balance.” […]